4,121 youngsters from 26 states to make a bid for Maharashtra CM Fadnavis’ fellowship this year

The fellowship gives the selected 50 candidates one-year work experience in the state government.(HT FILE)

When Rishad Surti, a chartered accountancy aspirant, applied for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ Fellowship programme in 2015, little did he know that one year of work experience with the Maharashtra government would lead to a career in the development sector.

Surti, a consultant with United Nations Development Programme is keen on getting the CA degree, but these skills will now be put to use as he negotiates public-private-partnership projects in social and development projects.

Surti was among the 50 fellows in the inaugural batch of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ fellowship programme that kicked off in 2015.

On Monday, nearly 4,121 candidates across 26 states took the online exam – the first tier of screening – for the 2017-2018 batch, with exam centres opened even in Delhi and Bangalore. Nearly, 17,000 had registered for the exam, but only 4,121 met the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility criteria for the fellowship

Candidate should be a graduate with first class from any discipline. Post-graduate or professional degrees have added advantage

Candidate should have a minimal one year work experience

Candidate should be between 21 to 26 years old

Screening :

Online exam with multiple-choice questions based on current affairs, economics, general knowledge

200 shortlisted candidates will have to submit three essays on given topics

The shortlisted candidates will have to appear for interviews before a government panel

The fellowship gives the selected 50 candidates one-year work experience in the state government. From working in the field at the district level to getting a preview of policy planning and execution at the state secretariat, fellows in the last two years have worked across departments from finance to agriculture.

“We have been getting tremendous response for the programme and so this year we opened exam centres in Bangalore and Delhi. It is an initiative by the CM to get youngsters to understand government functioning and processes. We benefit by many out of the box ideas; they get an unique experience difficult to find on most resumes and increasingly appreciated across higher universities and work places,’’ said Priya Khan, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to CM, who runs the programme.

In the past two years, fellows have taken a shot at working on public sector undertakings, women empowerment policies, social welfare, drought management and urban infrastructure. The fellows this year have been running the CM’s war room on infrastructure that prioritises and co-ordinates speedy implementation of key big ticket projects.

A majority of the candidates, who applied this year are engineers (1,904), followed by commerce graduates (804), then science graduates (519) trailed by arts graduates and others. As many as 1,175 candidates are keen on placements in the social sector followed by 855 in Information Technology.

“Before the fellowship, my perception about the government was not too positive. Like many citizens, I faulted it for corruption and inefficiency. But, one year work in drought-prone Solapur district working on water conservation schemes taught me that administration can work as effectively as the private sector, if there is intent and strategy. I am not preparing for civil services because I believe I can work in the system and bring change,’’ said Priyanka Kulkarni, civil engineer and 2015 fellow.